Pursuant to
Starfleet Exploration
Directives 902.3 & 914.5, Starfleet Defense Directives 138.6,
141.1 & 154.7, and
Federation Security Council General Policy, the following objectives
have been
established for an Akira Class Starship:

Replace
Excelsior, Ambassador,
and New Orleans class Starships as the primary
instrument of Federation deep-space defense.

Provide
a mobile platform for a wide range of ongoing scientific and cultural
research projects.

Provide
autonomous capability for full execution of Federation defensive,
cultural, scientific, and explorative policy in deep space or border
territory.

Serve
as a frontline support vehicle during times of war and emergencies.

Provide
a mobile platform for testing and implementation of mission-specific or
new technology of any kind.

Editor's
Note: History written by Steve Mallory - based on
information found in Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Voyager, Star
Trek
Technical Manual, Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual, Star
Trek:
Deep Space 9 Technical Manual, and Star Trek: The Magazine.
The style of the
history is based on histories presented in the Startrek
Spaceflight
Chronology by Stan Goldstein, Fred Goldstein, and Rick
Sternbach. Please
keep in mind that this is a history developed based on canon
information
presented in various sources and filled in with logical conjecture.

The Akira
Class starship entered
service in 2364 and has quickly become the pride of
Starfleet’s next generation
of starships. Akira Class vessels are part of the
new belief that smaller,
faster, more maneuverable Starships are needed to better serve
Starfleet's, and,
by extension, the Federation's needs.

Initial
production of the Akira class
began at the ASDB Integration Facility, New Aberdeen Fleetyards,
Aldebaran, and
has since expanded to include the ASDB Integration Facility, Utopia
Planitia,
Mars where nearly 15 of these vessels enter service each year, and the
newly
revamped Atlas V Assembly Facility, Deneb V along with the Antares
Fleetyard.

Unlike many
larger starships of its
development era, with saucer separation as a prerequisite, Akira
Class vessels
to date cannot separate into two vessels. As a result, the Akira
Class no longer
has the twin hull design that has been seen in vessels such as Excelsior,
New
Orleans, Galaxy and Ambassador Classes.
This means that the primary hull and the
engineering hull are no longer separate, with no "neck" section. While
this
division of Saucer and Stardrive has been blurred, it does allow the Akira
Class
to make a smoother, less polluted entry into subspace during Warp.
Also, because
of this "no stardrive" design, the surface between the two hulls has a
much more
gradual descent and streamlined appearance; the dorsal mid-ships
section, which
slopes up where the two hulls connect. The Akira
spaceframe appears very similar
in design to that of an ancient earth sailing boat known as a
Catamaran. With
the Nacelles parallel to the main hull, they can be more adequately
protected by
the primary and secondary shield generators with only a minimal loss in
shield
efficiency.

The final
armaments for the Akira
Class were finalized during the end of the primary development phase
and
implemented during the vessel's first production contract at both ASDB
Facilities. Realizing that relations with the Cardassians was going to
deteriorate before they improved, and the looming presence of a Borg
incursion,
Starfleet requested that a portion of the new Akira’s
be refitted with more
weaponry and upgraded shields. The resulting Akira
class mounted no less than 15
Photon torpedo tubes spread between 3 launchers scattered around the
vessel [2
located on the Aft sail, and 1 mounted on the ventral portion of the
vessel just
above the main deflector].

Heavily armed,
the design philosophy
for the Akira class created lessons later utilized
in the Defiant Project,
especially the early “Torpedo Gunboat” design that
was later scrapped in favor
of the current design. A Combined Forward/Aft torpedo bay is located
both along
the Aft Dorsal "Sail" portion of the hull, while a second set of
forward
launchers are located just under the nose of the ship. Combined with
the Type X phaser array, the current Akira class is
heavily armed, and in raw
torpedo
firepower, could return fire - torpedo for torpedo, with the vaunted Galaxy
/ Nebula Class launchers.

With the Saber
class designed to
replace the Miranda and her sister classes (Soyuz,
etc) of starships on internal police patrols,
and with the Merced and New Orleans
Class functioning adequately in the
role of Mission-Specific Frigate, it was a waste of scientific
resources to
assign those classes to defensive patrols on the Cardassian Frontier
where they
were clearly outgunned against Galor class Battlecruisers. Akira
class starships
were outfitted with a full-fly through hangar on deck 12 from which no
more than
40 Kaneda Class fighters could be launched,
combined with the 3 photon
torpedo launchers and 6 Type X phaser array’s standard on the
Akira class, gave
the carrier impressive sublight combat capabilities and could stand
toe-to-toe
against even the most determined Cardassian attack.

Starfleet
Command issued a request
to the major fleet yards in 2353 for a design and engineering
specifications for
a new Heavy Cruiser to supplant the Excelsior and Ambassador
Class starships as
the primary instrument of Federation defense. The production
contract was
awarded to the New Aberdeen Fleetyards in the Aldebaran system, with
the now
infamous Yoyodyne Propulsion Systems as the primary engineering
firm. Starfleet
Command requested, specifically, a smaller, more heavily armed and most
importantly quicker constructed vessel than the Ambassador
Class, without sacrificing firepower or
shielding.

This
stipulation was no small
request, as the Ambassador Class vessel was by far
the most heavily armed and
armored vessel Starfleet could field at the time. She was
also the largest
class in Starfleet history, until the launch of the Galaxy
Class, and was also
the most crew intensive in service.

The first test
hull, now dubbed the USS Akira by the development
team after
the project name, was laid in 2356 and
basic compartmentalization was completed two years later, when the
Consolidated
Fusion Inc. M/ARA core and nacelle structure was installed.
Due to the unique
configuration of the hull, along with the layout of the deckspace,
which was
unique compared to the Ambassador, Merced, Excelsior,
and most other vessels of
its classification, the
standard General Propulsion Mark VI Impulse Plant and Malkinalis 8.5
M/ARA warp
core used in the upgrades on the Excelsior Class
and the Merced class Frigate,
the standard Impulse and M/ARA configuration at the time, had to be
abandoned
(as it would later with the Steamrunner Project). The Akira
hull, assigned the
registry NX 62497, launched from the New Aberdeen
fleetyards in the spring of
2358 for warp core testing.

At the time of
her warp core and
engine testing, she was unarmed, with plans for Type VIII phaser arrays
planned
for deployment aboard the class, along with two photon torpedo
launchers.
The USS Spann [Excelsior Class
- NCC 3995] and the USS Zachary
[Miranda Class - NCC 2311] escorted the Akira
hull from her berth to deep
space for trials. The Akira hull did not reach Warp 3 before
the safety
cutoffs dropped the hull from warp - under emergency power, she was
towed back
to the New Aberdeen Fleetyards for review. Simulations could
not determine
the exact cause of the error. Two more tests gave the same
results - the
hull was decompartmentalized and the structural framework went into
review.

After this
in-depth analysis, the Akira project design team
rejected Consolidated Fusion Inc.’s M/ARA and Impulse engine
design, after three
Time trials utilizing the CFI M/ARA configuration, strong and
potentially
damaging hull stress fractures occurred within the main structural
network. It
was determined that the warp harmonics generated by the Core was the
cause of
the damage, and the CFI M/ARA unit was scrapped (the design was later
picked up
by the Steamrunner project). The Project Akira hull, along
with its two
half-completed sister ships were put into cold storage for nearly 5
years.

It wasn't until
the development
and widespread utilization of technologies found in the TPG
Matter/Anti-Matter Reaction
Drive, by Theoretical Propulsion Group, that the Akira Project was
revived. The
new warp cores for the Galaxy Class utilized the
latest in Plasma
Induction and Warp Harmonic Control to create a stable, powerful warp
core, and
with Project Akira's unique hull configuration, was a must if the
vessel was to
see active duty. Project
Akira took a new RamJet Mark I off of the assembly lines, updated it
with the
technologies developed by Theoretical Propulsion Group, which meant
they had to
abandon the traditional vertical warp core, instead using the
horizontal
mounting reminiscent of the Constitution-Refit
class. The resulting
configuration completely eliminated the shearing forces created by the
warp
core, while also reducing deuterium usage by nearly five percent in
comparison
to the original configuration.

To increase the
combat efficiency of
the Akira class, Yoyodyne propulsion systems lead
designer Alex Jaeger proposed
the addition of two additional torpedo launchers, each armed with 5
tubes, to be
located both in the dorsal and ventral portion of the main dish hull
and fixed
to the forward firing arc. This would give the Akira
class tremendous firepower
in the forward firing arcs and could overwhelm even the vaunted
shielding of the Cardassian Galor class battlecruiser, a vessel that
clearly outgunned the Akira
class before the redesign, and was a match for both the Excelsior
and Ambassador
class starship. With a total of 15 torpedo tubes, the Akira Class
earned the distinction of
being the first vessel in Starfleet
history to rely on the Photon Torpedo, not the Phaser, as her primary
armament.
Further, the phasers were upgraded from Type VIII to Type X in
mid-production -
no Akira Class vessel ever entered service
officially with anything less
than a Type X phaser array.

NX 62497
left the New Aberdeen Fleetyard Facility in 2363 for final Impulse
engine stress testing near Wolf
359, flanked by the USS Ottawa [Excelsior Class -
NCC 3299] and the USS
Unification
[Ambassador Class - NCC 19995]. Stress tolerances
were
well within expected levels, and the hull returned to Aldebaran for
final
interior compartment completion. The hull, named the USS Akira, had
final
compartmentalization completed on March 15, 2364 and took its final
shakedown
cruise through April 29, 2364 when she arrived at Sol system for its
official
launch. By the time the USS Akira entered into service in 2364, her
sister ship,
the USS Bejing NCC 62498 was nearing completion at New
Aberdeen, with no less
than 10 more hulls being prepared for construction at both the Utopia
Planitia
Fleetyards and the New Aberdeen Fleetyards.

At the height of production, the New Aberdeen Fleet Yards, the Balkinur
Cosmodrome and the Atlas V Fleetyards of Deneb V were producing Akira
Class
vessels. Additional construction contracts were issued to the
larger Utopia
Planitia and the Antares V Fleetyards.

The USS Akira
and her sister
vessels were immediately dispatched to both the Romulan Neutral Zone
and along
the Federation/Cardassian Border. The Akira class was favored
by many a Captain
for being a durable and dependable vessel, thanks in part on being
built using
standardized Federation components already tested and deployed
successfully in
no less than three classes of vessels. With the advent of the
Borg threat,
along with increased tension between the Federation and the
Cardassians, the
Akira class was designated to more and more defense and patrol related
duties,
leaving the Nebula class to serve as the Diplomatic and Exploratory
arms of
Starfleet. Further, the deployment of the Kaneda
Class Space Superiority Starfighter, mounting Micro-torpedoes and Type
VI Shuttle class Phaser Emitters,
extended the range of the Akira class and provided unprecedented
sublight combat
capabilities and intelligence gathering capabilities.

With Excelsior
Class vessels
taking staggering losses, and clearly outgunned when faced against
Dominion
Battleships, Starfleet reissued production contracts for the Akira
class. It was
a proven design, heavily armed for its size, and was well-suited for
combat
against Dominion Threat vessels. Production of the Akira
class fell on Antares V
Fleetyards, Utopia Planitia, the Copernicus Fleetyard, and the newly
revamped
New Aberdeen Fleetyards, where production continues to this day.
Several small
modifications have since been made to the refit specifications on the
Akira
Class, including the addition of EMH technology in Sickbay and Ablative
Armor to
the nacelle and aft sail assembly, to further increase combat
survivability.

After
the war, most Akira Class vessels had their Fighter
Wings transferred to fixed
orbital facilities or ground based Starfleet or Allied Facilities to
allow for
additional cargo space and the addition of modular laboratories
installed into
the unused Hangar space. This gave the majority of the Akira
class laboratories
and, most of all, doubled the normal loadout of sensor probes, making
the class
a premier exploration vehicle with half of the crew and construction
costs of a Galaxy or Sovereign
Class Starship.

General
Overview: Primary operational
control of the Akira Class is provided by the Main
Bridge, located at the
top of the primary hull. It is located on Deck 1. The Main Bridge
directly
supervises all primary mission operations (with the exception of the
Flight bay
and assorted craft) and coordinates all departmental activities.

The Main Bridge
is a highly
restricted area; only Beta-Two security clearance personnel (Officers
with the
Rank of Ensign or Higher) and authorized bridge personnel are allowed
on the
bridge. All bridge officers carry a type II phaser.

The Main Bridge
is an ejectable
module, allowing for a wider variety in mission parameters.

Layout:
Thenew
primary
Bridge
configuration is a combination of the new Soveriegn Class with the
Intrepid
Class starship. The central area of the Main Bridge provides
seating and
information displays for the Captain and two other officers. The
Captain’s Chair
is raised from the rest of the Bridge Officers, to that of the
Surrounding level
which includes Tactical and Operations. The two Officer seats are
equipped with
fully programmable consoles for a variety of uses.

Directly fore
of the command area is
the Flight Control Officer, who faces the main viewer. The FCO is
equipped with
a console that proceeds around an almost one hundred and eighty degree
angle.

At the very
front of the bridge
chamber is a large viewscreen. This main viewer performs all the
standard duties
expected of it. However, the viewscreen is not always activated like
most other
Starships. It is a full Holographic display, that can be activated upon
request.
When the screen is not active, a standard bulkhead is present. This
addition was
made into the Akira Class, so that Star-Field
syndrome among Bridge officers
would be stopped. Too many officers became hypnotized during warp.

Aft and to the
left of the command
area is an elevated platform on which is located the tactical/security
control
station (comprised of two consoles, one for tactical, and one for
security,
located directly behind tactical and along the back of the bridge
area). These
consoles are to the left side of the Captain’s Chair, no
longer in the direct
middle.

To the
Captain's right is the
Operations manager's console. Identical in size and design to
the Tacitcal/Security
station, the Operations manager is located closer to the bridge
engineering
station rather than close to the front of the bridge. The
Operations Panel, due
to the tremendous amount of sensitive information found there, has
security
protocols as stringent as the TAC consoles.
Directly aft of the Ship
Operations Console is the Mission Operations Console, for use during
Away team
missions.

Also located on
the platform, against
the aft wall of the bridge, is a large master systems display monitor,
similar
to the one in main engineering. All relative ship information (such as
damage,
power distribution, etc.) is displayed on the cutaway image of the Akira
Class.
This monitor can be used to direct ship operations and can be
configured for
limited flight control if necessary.

Against the
port side walls of the
main bridge are the consoles for Science and others that are
programmable for a
multitude of functions. There are two Science consoles with Science 2
being a
fully programmable multi-mission Console. Science I, which is the
primary
science console. Science I has priority links to Conn, Ops,
Computers, and
Tactical.

Science II is
the ASO's (Assistant
Science Officer's) console, which can be used by any personnel. Science
II has
access to all science, navigational, sensor, and communications
systems. Science
II can be configured to operate in tandem with Science I, although
security
links and all other non-science data is withheld from Science II.
Science II
usually works independently of Science I.

Against the
starboard wall of the
main bridge is the large engineering console. This has a smaller
cutaway diagram
of the Akira Class, which displays all
engineering-relevant data and shows warp
fields and engine output. This console also has priority links to the
computers,
the WPS (Warp Propulsion System), the IPS (Impulse Propulsion System),
navigation, SIF, and IDF. Although usually unattended, the Chief
Engineer can
bring this console to full Enable mode by entering voice codes and
undergoing a
retinal scan. Directly aft of this console is the Engineering
II console, which
is fully programmable to run any Secondary Console function, including
Sciences,
Medical, Operations, Limited Helm control, or Security.

This console,
as does every console
on the bridge, also has the hand-input sub-console for use in setting
the
auto-Destruct of Akira Class. The auto-destruct
sequence follows Standard
Starfleet security procedures which can be accessed via any secured
Memory
Alpha ODN connection.

There are two
turbolifts on the
bridge that can handle normal transit around the Akira
Class. There is also an
emergency ladder that connects the bridge to Deck two. There is also
one door,
on the aft platform of the bridge, that leads to the Conference Room,
which is
directly aft of the Main Bridge. Other connected rooms to the Main
Bridge
include the Captain's Ready Room.

There are No
escape pods connected to the bridge. Pods are located on all decks
below Deck
three. For more information on the specifications of the Lifeboats,
please refer
to section 11.2. Two pods are reserved for the top four
officers in the
chain of command on the Akira Class, because they
are the last four to leave the
ship. These are located on Deck two. As the number of experienced
Captains
dwindles in Starfleet, the notion of a Captain going down with his ship
has been
abolished. If the ship is abandoned, the top four officers in the chain
of
command will wait until everyone else is off the ship, opt to arm the
auto-Destruct (not always necessary, but there if needed), and then
leave in the
two escape pods.

This
multi-room department is located in a restricted area on deck 15.
Within it are
the entrances to the phaser range, the Brig, the torpedo/probe
magazine, the
auxiliary weapon control room and to the Ship's Armory, as well as the
Chief
Tactical Officer's office.

The
CTO's office is decorated to the officer's preference. It contains a
work area,
a personal viewscreen, a computer display, and a replicator.

Brig:
Located on deck 15, the brig is a restricted access area whose only
entrance is
from within the Security department. The Akira
class vessel has 10 double
occupancy cells, which contain beds, a retractable table and chairs, a
water
dispenser, and a toilet. The cells are secured with a level 10
forcefield
emitter built into each doorway.

Ship's
Armory: This room is located in a restricted area
on deck 15 and is under
constant guard. The room is sealed with a level 10 forcefield and can
only be
accessed by personnel with Alpha 3 security clearance. Inside the
armory is a
work area for maintenance and repair of phasers as well as multiple
sealed
weapon lockers. The Akira Class carries enough
type-I and type-II phasers to arm
the entire crew. Type-III phaser rifle and the new compression phaser
rifles are
available as well, but only in enough numbers to arm approximately 1/3
of the
crew. Heavy ordinance is available in limited numbers.

Torpedo/Probe
Magazine: This restricted
area on deck 9 is for storing
unarmed photon torpedoes, quantum torpedoes (if the mission dictates),
and
science probes I - VI (VII - X if mission dictates). Also stored here
are the
components for manufacturing new photon torpedo as well as the
equipment to put
it all together. This room is also accessed by the loading mechanism
for the
torpedo launchers.

This is the nerve center for Flight
Operations, conducting combat operations utilizing the Akira's
Spacefighter
Wing, and sifting through the numerous sensor plots and intelligence
gathered by
the starfighters. A large room, the TIC is twice as large as
the Ship's bridge,
and is fully manned through all duty shifts. The TIC is
typically commanded by
the Second Officer.

TIC
General Overview:
Primary Flight Operational Control of the Akira
Class is provided by the
TIC, located on decks A and B of the aft sail area. The TIC directly
supervises all primary
and secondary Flight Operations and coordinates all Flight, Search and
Rescue,
and Fighter-based activities.

The TIC is a
highly restricted area;
only Beta-One security clearance personnel and authorized TIC personnel
are
allowed on the bridge.

Layout:
Thenew TIC
configuration is
unique to the Akira class, and closely resembles a
Starbase Bridge/Operations
Center. The central area of the TIC provides a large
holographic
display, viewable from the entire TIC. Attached to the
holoprojector are the
TIC Supervisor, and his two executive officer's consoles.
Identical in size and
design to the bridge Mission Operations console, these consoles are the
heart of
the TIC. All information pertaining Flight Operations,
Maintenance Schedules,
Intelligence Gathering, and whatever operations the TIC is currently
engaged
with, can be accessed by these consoles.

Directly fore
of the holoviewer are
the Flight Ops Officers. The 8 FO Officers are equipped with a console
that
proceeds across the entire Foredeck, each with access to visuals of
Flight
Decks, Fightercraft, Shuttlecraft, along with Helm and Science
information from
the bridge. The FO's are in charge of maintaining full flight
operation
efficiency.

Aft and to the
left of the command
area is an elevated platform on which is located the tactical/security
control
station (comprised of two consoles, one for tactical, and one for
security,
located directly behind tactical and along the back of the TIC area).
Each
console is manned by 2 officers, and their role is to keep the TIC CO
appraised
of missions objectives in combat
operations, should the Akira enter combat, along
with the status of Flight
Operations in the Combat Zone.

Against the
Starboard wall of the
TIC, on a raised platform, is a large master systems display monitor,
similar to
the one in main engineering and identical to the display monitor on the
Bridge.
All relative ship information (such as damage, power distribution,
etc.) is
displayed on the cutaway image of the Akira Class.
This monitor can be used to
direct ship operations and can be configured for limited flight control
if
necessary.

In front of the
TIC master systems
display monitor is a large engineering console. This has a smaller
cutaway
diagram of the Akira Class, which displays all
engineering-relevant data and
shows warp fields and engine output. This console also has priority
links to the
computers, the WPS (Warp Propulsion System), the IPS (Impulse
Propulsion
System), navigation, SIF, and IDF, and is a backup console for the Main
Engineer
to access Engineering subroutines and protocols away from Main
Engineering.
Although usually unattended, the Chief Engineer can bring this console
to full
Enable mode by entering voice codes and undergoing a retinal
scan. In its
typical configuration, the TIC Engineers Mate maintains work schedules
and
verifies repair, maintenance and refit programs for the various
starfighters and
shuttlecraft aboard the Akira Class vessel.

Against the
port side walls of the
main bridge are the consoles for Science and others that are
programmable for a
multitude of functions. There are two fully programable multi-mission
consoles.
These consoles have access to all science, navigational, sensor, and
communications systems. These consoles are typically configured for
Intelligence
Gathering and collating data retrieved by Shuttlecraft or Fightercraft.

There is also
an emergency ladder
that connects the TIC to Lower Engineering. There is also one door, on
the aft
platform of the bridge, that leads to the TIC Space Wing Briefing Room,
which is
directly aft of the TIC.

Located on
Deck 14, Main Engineering is the ‘heart’ of the
ship, comparable to the bridge
as the ‘brain’. It has access to almost all systems
aboard the starship, and manages
repairs, power flow, and general maintenance.

Entrance to
the primary engineering spaces is provided by two large blast doors, a
pair each
on decks 13, 14, and 15, that can be closed in cased for internal or
external
security reasons, as well as in case of emergencies.

Just inside
of
the doors on deck 14 - Main Engineering - is an observation
area where
technicians monitor various systems of the ship. Also in that area, is
a
floor-mounted situational display similar to the Master Systems Display
found on
the Bridge. Affectionately referred to as the ‘pool
table’, the Chief Engineer
can use the display to more easily get a broad view of the situation
with just a
glance.

Farther
in from observation area is the warp core and main control systems.
Circular in
shape, the room is an outgrowth of the Galaxy Class design, but
exceedingly
functional to save space inside the ship. Usable consoles are mounted
on every
piece of ‘real estate’ around the circumference of
the room and provide primary
control access for the engineers and technicians.
Additionally, there are
numerous ladders and access panels to Jefferies tubes, leading
throughout the
starship - the Sovereign Class being the first
series of starship to take
full advantage of these access spaces for more than extraordinary
maintenance.
The technical complexity of the starship dictates the use of these
spaces to
maintain peak efficiency and affect proper repairs.

Off to
the starboard side of Main Engineering is the Chief
Engineer’s Office, which is
equipped with a diagnostics table, assembly and repair equipment, a
small
replicator, and a personal use console with built-in private viewscreen.

In the
center of Main Engineering is the Matter/Anti-Matter Assembly (M/ARA).
This is
where primary power for the ship is generated inside the
Matter/Anti-Matter
Reaction Chamber (M/ARC). This system is checked on a regular basis due
to its
importance to the ship. Access to the warp core is restricted, with a
front port
to get to the Dilithium matrix as well as an over side port for access
to the
warp plasma conduits.

A second tier rings the second level of Main Engineering on deck 13.
Two small
single-person elevators, as well as a ladder on the opposite end,
provide
access to this catwalk. Controls for the various Fusion Power
Plants,
along with the Impulse Engines, are monitored from this deck.

A
lower tier runs below Main Engineering
on deck 15. Damage Control Teams are mustered here, as well
as internal
ship maintenance teams. Numerous consoles and replicators
line this
section, serving as auxiliary consoles for Main Engineering, along with
providing engineering research space and secondary computer core
support.

Access to
the Jeffries Tubes is provided in various places on both the First,
Second and
Third Tier of the Engineering Spaces.

Typical crew compliment in Main Engineering consists of twenty
engineers and
forty technicians of various grades. During Red or Yellow Alert, that
number is
increased.

Phaser
array arrangement: Two dorsal phaser arrays on the primary
hull, extending from just aft of the bridge to
almost midway around the saucer section. The arrays converge to
intersect at the
bow of the ship, giving them an almost oval appearance. Two ventral
phaser
arrays on the primary hull, extending from the very back of the primary
hull
almost to the bow. These arrays also converge gradually as they
approach the
widest part of the primary hull, converging near the bow. Two phaser
arrays are
located on or near the aft sail covering the rear firing arc.

Phaser
Array Type: The Akira Class utilizes the
Type X array
system.
The seven arrays are all type X, the new standard emitter. Each array
fires a
steady beam of phaser energy, and the forced-focus emitters discharge
the
phasers at speeds approaching .986c (which works out to about 182,520
miles per
second - nearly warp one). The phaser array automatically rotates
phaser
frequency and attempts to lock onto the frequency and phase of a threat
vehicle's shields for shield penetration.

Phaser
Array Output: Each phaser
array takes its energy directly from the impulse drive and auxiliary
fusion
generators. Individually, each Type X emitter can only discharge
approximately
5.1 MW (megawatts). However, several emitters (usually two) fire at
once in the
array during standard firing procedures, resulting in a discharge
approximately
10.2 MW.

Arrangement:
Three fixed-focus
torpedo launchers, one located just above the main deflector dish and
another at
the bow of the primary hull along with a third launcher within the main
sail.
These launchers are the second generation of automated, high-speed
launchers
originally developed and
found on the New Orleans and Saber
Class (and later seen aboard
Excelsior Class Starships as part of their refit schedule)
starships and each launcher is armed with 5 tubes per launcher, giving
the Akira
Classthe
ability to
launch up to fifteen
torpedoes in a single salvo. The third generation of this
launcher has
seen deployment aboard the Sovereign Class and Norway
Class.

Type:
A symmetrical subspace graviton field. This type of shield is fairly
similar to those of most
other Starships. However, besides incorporating the now mandatory
nutation shift
in frequency, the shields alter their graviton polarity to better deal
with more
powerful weapons, such as the neutron-carbide beams of Tamarian
vessels. During
combat, the shield sends data on what type of weapon is being used on
it, and
what frequency and phase the weapon uses. Once this is analyzed by the
tactical
officer, the shield can be configured to have the same frequency as the
incoming
weapon - but different nutation. This tactic dramatically increases
shield
efficiency.

Output:
There are sixteen shield
grids on the Akira Class, and each one generates
186 MW, resulting in a total
shield strength of 2976 MW. However, during normal
combat
operations, only 10 of the 16 shield generators are activated, with the
remaining 6 generators serving as the emergency shield
system. This means
that, in normal combat operations, the Akira class
has a rated shield strength
of 1860MW. The power for the shields is taken directly from
the warp engines and impulse fusion generators. If desired, the shields
can be
augmented by power from the impulse power plants. The shields can
protect
against approximately 36% of the total EM spectrum (whereasthe standard Galaxy
Class Starship's
shields can only protect against about 23%), made possible by the
multi-phase graviton polarity flux technology incorporated into the
shields.

Range:
The shields, when raised, stay
extremely close to the hull to conserve energy - average range is ten
meters
away from the hull.

Number
of computer cores: Two; The
primary core one occupies space on decks 7, 8 and 9 far astern. The
secondary,
emergency core is much smaller than the first and is located adjacent
to
Environmental Control on Deck 16.

Type: Theupdated
Computer cores found
on the Akira class are newer versions of the Galaxy
Class Isolinear Processing
cores. The system is powered
by a smaller, regulated EPS conduit directly from the warp
core. Cooling of the isolinear loop is accomplished by a
regenerative liquid nitrogen loop, which has
been refit to allow a delayed-venting heat storage unit for "Silent
Running."
For missions, requirements on the computer core rarely exceed 45-50% of
total
core processing and storage capacity. The
rest of the core is utilized for
various scientific, tactical, or intelligence gathering missions - or
to backup
data in the event of a damaged core.

Acronym for Library
Computer Access
and Retrieval
System, the common user interface of 24th century computer
systems, based on
verbal and graphically enhanced keyboard/display input and output. The
graphical
interface adapts to the task which is supposed to be performed,
allowing for
maximum ease-of-use. The Akira Class operates on
LCARS build version
5.2 to
account for increases in processor speed and power, and limitations
discovered
in the field in earlier versions, and increased security.

Access to all Starfleet
data is highly regulated. A standard set of access levels have been
programmed
into the computer cores of all ships in order to stop any undesired
access to
confidential data.

Security
levels are also variable, and task-specific. Certain areas of
the ship
are restricted to unauthorized personnel, regardless of security level.
Security
levels can also be raised, lowered, or revoked by Command personnel.

Security
levels in use aboard an Akira Class are:

Level
10 – Captain and Above

Level
9 – First Officer

Level
8 - Commander

Level
7 – Lt. Commander

Level
6 – Lieutenant

Level
5 – Lt. Junior Grade

Level
4 - Ensign

Level
3 – Non-Commissioned Crew

Level
2 – Civilian Personnel

Level
1 – Open Access (Read Only)

Note:
Security Levels beyond current rank can and are bestowed where, when
and to whom
they are necessary.

The
main computer grants access based on a battery of checks to the
individual user,
including face and voice recognition in conjunction with a vocal code
as an
added level of security.

All Starfleet vessels make
use of a computer program called a Universal Translator that is
employed for
communication among persons who speak different languages. It performs
a pattern
analysis of an unknown language based on a variety of criteria to
create a
translation matrix. The translator is built in the Starfleet badge and
small
receivers are implanted in the ear canal.

The Universal Translator
matrix aboard an Akira Class starships typically
consists of well over 100,000 languages and
increases with every new encounter.

Type:
RamJet Mark 1 Standard
Matter/Anti-Matter Reaction Drive, developed by RamJet Propulsion.
Information
on this Warp Drive
can be found in any Starfleet Library or Omnipedia.

Normal
Cruising Speed: Warp 7

Cruising
Speed as pursuant to Warp
Limitations, as a cause of subspace pollution: Warp 5

Maximum
Speed: Warp 9.8 for 12 hours

Note:
Vessels equipped with the RamJet Mark 2 series M/ARA Drive
System no longer have the maximum cruising speed limit of Warp 6.3,
thanks to
innovations discovered and utilized in the General Electric Type 8
M/ARA
Warp Drive outfitted in the new Sovereign Class Starship.
Pursuant to
Starfleet Command Directive 12856.A, all Starships will receive
upgrades to
their Warp Core system to prevent further pollution of Subspace. To
date, all
vessels currently in service have received these upgrades.

Output:
Each engine (there are two
impulse engines) can propel the Akira Class at
speeds within the area known as Standard impulse operations.
These speeds are
limited to a maximum speed of .25c, with each engine working at .125c,
due to
time dilation problems. Quarter impulse is rated at .0625c,
half impulse
being .125c and full impulse is rated at .25c or 1/4th the speed of
light.

Type:
Standard Version 4 magnetohydrodynamic gas-fusion thrusters, identical
to thrusters deployed on the Ambassador Class
starship.
There are 24 of these thrusters spread across
the primary hull to facilitate precise movement.

Output:
Each thruster quad can
produce 4.2 million Newtons of exhaust.

A standard Akira
Class main deflector
dish is located along the ventral portion of the Akira
Class's primary hull, and
is located just forward of the primary engineering spaces. Composed of
molybdenum/duranium mesh panels over a tritanium framework (beneath theDuranium-Tritanium
hull), the dish can be manually moved twelve degrees in any direction
off the
ship's Z-axis. The main deflector dish's shield and sensor power comes
from two
graviton polarity generators located on deck 17, each capable of
generating 128
MW, which can be fed into two 550 millicochrane subspace field
distortion
generators.

Type:
Multiphase subspace graviton
beam, used for direct manipulation of objects from a submicron to a
macroscopic
level at any relative bearing to the Akira Class.
Each emitter is directly
mounted to the primary members of the ship's framework, to lessen the
effects of
isopiestic subspace shearing, inertial potential imbalance, and
mechanical
stress.

Output:
Each tractor beam emitter is
built around three multiphase 15 MW graviton polarity sources, each
feeding two
475 millicochrane subspace field amplifiers. Phase accuracy is within
1.3
arc-seconds per microsecond, which gives superior interference pattern
control.
Each emitter can gain extra power from the SIF by means of
molybdenum-jacketed
waveguides. The subspace fields generated around the beam (when the
beam is
used) can envelop objects up to 920 meters, lowering the local
gravitational
constant of the universe for the region inside the field and making the
object
much easier to manipulate.

Range:
Effective tractor beam range
varies with payload mass and desired delta-v (change in relative
velocity).
Assuming a nominal 15 m/sec-squared delta-v, the multiphase tractor
emitters can
be used with a payload approaching 116,380,000,000 metric tons at less
than
2,000 meters. Conversely, the same delta-v can be imparted to an object
massing
about one metric ton at ranges approaching 30,000 kilometers.

Long range and
navigation sensors are
located behind the main deflector dish, to avoid sensor "ghosts" and
other
detrimental effects consistent with main deflector dish millicochrane
static
field output. Lateral sensor pallets are located around the rim of the
entire
starship, providing full coverage in all standard scientific fields,
but with
emphasis in the following areas:

Astronomical
phenomena

Planetary
analysis

Remote
life-form analysis

EM
scanning

Passive
neutrino scanning

Parametric
subspace field stress
(a scan to search for cloaked ships)

Thermal
variances

Quasi-stellar
material

Each sensor
pallet (twenty-four in
all) can be interchanged and re-calibrated with any other pallet on the
ship.
Warp Current sensor: This is an independent subspace graviton
field-current
scanner, allowing the Akira Class to track ships at
high warp by locking onto the
eddy currents from the threat ship's warp field, then follow the
currents by
using multi-model image mapping.

There are
twenty-eight independent
tactical sensors on the Akira Class. Each sensor
automatically tracks and locks onto
incoming hostile vessels and reports bearing, aspect, distance, and
vulnerability percentage to the tactical station on the main bridge.
Each
tactical sensor is approximately 84% efficient against ECM, and can
operate
fairly well in particle flux nebulae (which has been hitherto
impossible).

One stellar
cartography bay is
located on deck 14, with direct EPS power feed from engineering. All
information
is directed to the bridge and can be displayed on any console or the
main
viewscreen. The Chief Science Officer's
office is located next to the Stellar
Cartography bay.

There are
twenty science labs on
the Akira Class; five labs are on deck 4 -
adjacent to Sickbay, 10 labs are on deck5, 2 microlabs
on deck 14 and 3 multifunction labs on deck 6. The 5 labs on deck 4 are
bio-chem-physics
labs that can also be reconfigured for Medical labs. The 10 labs on
deck 5 are a
mixed batch; three are bio-chem-physics, one is an XT
(extra-terrestrial)
analysis labs, and one eugenic lab. There are two smaller
labs on deck 14 are
astrophysics/astrometrics and stellar cartography labs. The final 3 on
deck 6
are multi-functional labs that can be equipped for various experiments.

A probe is a device that
contains a number of general purpose or mission specific sensors and
can be
launched from a starship for closer examination of objects in space.

There
are nine different classes of probes, which vary in sensor types,
power, and
performance ratings. The spacecraft frame of a probe consists of molded
duranium-tritanium and pressure-bonded lufium boronate, with sensor
windows of
triple layered transparent aluminum. With a warhead attached, a probe
becomes a
photon torpedo. The standard equipment of all nine types of probes are
instruments to detect and analyze all normal EM and subspace bands,
organic and
inorganic chemical compounds, atmospheric constituents, and mechanical
force
properties. All nine types are capable of surviving a powered
atmospheric entry,
but only three are specially designed for aerial maneuvering and soft
landing.
These ones can also be used for spatial burying. Many probes can be
real-time
controlled and piloted from a starship to investigate an environment
dangerous
hostile or otherwise inaccessible for an away-team.

The
nine standard classes are:

7.5.1 Class
I Sensor Probe:

Range: 2 x
10^5 kilometers

Delta-v
limit: 0.5c

Powerplant:
Vectored deuterium microfusion propulsion

Sensors: Full
EM/Subspace and interstellar chemistry pallet for in-space applications.

Sickbay:
There is one large sickbay
facility located on deck 4, equipped with two intensive-care wards, a
laboratory, a nursery, the CMO's office, four surgical suites, a
null-grav
therapy ward, a morgue, a biohazard isolation unit, and a dental care
office.
Also pursuant to new Medical Protocols, all Medical Facilities are
equipped with
holo-emitters for the emergency usage of the Emergency Medical
Holograph System.

The
Ship's Counselor has his office located on Deck 4, near the
Medical section.
It consists of a private office, with standard furnishings (decorated
to the
Counselors preference), personal viewscreen, a computer display, and
replicator.
An individual therapy room furnished with chairs and couch for one on
one
sessions, as well as a large, group therapy room, consisting of several
couches
and chairs, are located adjacent to the Counselor's office.

In the
event of a crewmember suffering a psychotic episode, and needing to be
isolated
from the crew, the ill crewman is kept in sickbay, in the isolation
unit, or in
the intensive care units, as determined by bed availability.

General
Overview: All crew and
officers' (except for the Commanding officer's and Executive Officer's,
which
are located on deck 2) quarters are located on decksA,
B, 2-5, 13-15 and deck
17.

Individuals
assigned to the Akira
Class for periods over six months are permitted to reconfigure their
quarters
within hardware, volume, and mass limits. Individuals assigned for
shorter
periods are generally restricted to standard quarters configuration.

Crew
Quarters: Standard Living Quarters
are provided for both Starfleet Non-Commissioned Officers and
Ensigns.
These persons are expected to share their room with another crewmate
due to
space restrictions aboard the starship. After six months,
crewmembers are
permitted to bring family aboard the ship and a slightly larger room is
allocated to them.

Two
NCO's or two Ensigns are assigned to a suite. Accommodations include 2
bedrooms with standard
beds, connected by a living/work area. A washroom with ultrasonic
shower is
located off of each bedroom. A food replicator and a personal
holographic viewer
are located in the living area. Small pets are allowed to NCO's.

Enlisted crewmembers share quarters
with up to 4 others. Accommodations
include
2 bedrooms with twin beds, connected by a living/work area. A washroom
with
ultrasonic shower is located off of each bedroom. A food replicator and
a
personal holographic viewer are located in the living area. Pets are
not allowed
to enlisted crew.

Crewmen
can request that their living quarters
be combined to create a single larger dwelling.

Officers'
Quarters: Starfleet personnel
from the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade up to Commander are given one
set of
quarters to themselves. In addition, department heads and
their assistants
are granted such privileges as well, in an effort to provide a private
environment to perform off-duty work. After six months,
officers are
permitted to bring family aboard the ship and a slightly larger room is
allocated to them. Members of the Captain's Senior Staff can
have these
restrictions waved with the Captain's permission.

These
accommodations typically
include a small bathroom, a bedroom (with standard bed), a living/work
area, a
food replicator, an ultrasonic shower, personal holographic viewer, and
provisions for pets.

Officers may
request that their
living quarters be combined to form one large dwelling.

Executive
Quarters: The Captain and
Executive Officer of the vessel both have special quarters, located on
Deck
2. They are located on a higher deck because these two people must be
closer to
the bridge in the event of an Alert situation.

These quarters
are much more
luxurious than any others on the ship, with the exception of the
VIP/Diplomatic
Guest quarters. Both the Executive Officer's and the Captain's quarters
are
larger than standard Officers Quarters, and this space generally has
the
following accommodations: a bedroom (with a nice, fluffy bed),
living/work area,
bathroom, food replicator, ultrasonic shower, old-fashioned water
shower,
personal holographic viewer, provisions for pets, and even a null-grav
sleeping
chamber. These quarters are similar in "comfort" to those of a
high-ranking
officer's quarters on a Galaxy Class Starship.

VIP/Diplomatic
Guest Quarters: The Akira Class is a
symbol of UFP
authority, a tool in dealing with other
races. Starfleet intends to use Akira Class in
diplomacy several times, and the
need to transport or accommodate Very Important Persons, diplomats, or
ambassadors may arise.

These quarters
are located on Deck 3.
These quarters include a bedroom, spacious living/work area, personal
viewscreen,
ultrasonic shower, bathtub/water shower, provisions for pets, food
replicator,
and a null-grav sleeping chamber. These quarters can be immediately
converted to
class H, K, L, N, and N2 environments. While smaller in size
than those
facilities aboard a Galaxy Class or the newer Norway Class vessel, they
are
still far superior in fit and finish when compared to Starfleet Officer
quarters.

General
Overview: The Akira
Class design has been maximized for tactical
and scientific usage. However, it is realized that the stress of
operating at
99% efficiency on a ship that is built for deep-space exploration can
be
dangerous, so there are some recreational facilities on the Akira
Class.

Holodecks:
There are two standard holodeck facilities on the Akira
Class, both located on deck3.

Holosuites:
These are smaller
versions of standard Federation Holodecks, designed for individual
usage (the
two Holodecks themselves are to be used by groups or individual
officers;
enlisted crewmen and cadets are not allowed to use the Holodecks under
normal
circumstances). They do everything that their larger siblings do, only
these
Holosuites can't handle as many variables and are less detailed. They
are
equivalent to the Holodecks on an Intrepid class Starship. There are
eight
Holosuites Akira Class, all of them located on deck2 of the Bridge
Conn tower.

Phaser
Range:
Sometimes the only way a Starfleet officer or
crewman can vent his frustration
is through the barrel of a phaser rifle. The phaser range is located on
deck14. The phaser range is heavily
shielded, the walls being composed of a Duranium alloy, which can
absorb
setting 16 phaser blasts without taking a scratch.

Normal phaser
recreation and practice
is used with a type II or type III phaser set to level 3 (heavy stun).
The person stands in
the middle of the room, with no light except for the circle in the
middle of the
floor that the person is standing in. Colored circular dots
approximately the
size of a human hand whirl across the walls, and the person aims and
fires.
After completing a round, the amounts of hits and misses, along with
the
percentage of accuracy is announced by the ship's computer.

The phaser
range is also used by
security to train ship's personnel in marksmanship. During training,
the holo-emitters
in the phaser range are activated, creating a holographic setting,
similar to
what a holodeck does. Personnel are "turned loose" either independently
or in an
Away Team formation to explore the setting presented to them, and the
security
officer in charge will take notes on the performance of each person as
they take
cover, return fire, protect each other, and perform a variety of
different
scenarios. All personnel on an Akira Class are
tested every six months in phaser
marksmanship.

There are 25
levels of phaser
marksmanship. All personnel are trained in the operation of phaser
types I and II up to level 14. All security personnel on
a Akira Class must
maintain a level 17 marksmanship for all phaser types. The true
marksman can
maintain at least an 80% hit ratio on level 23. The Akira
Class carries both the
standard phaser rifle and the new compression phaser rifles.

Weight
Room/ Gymnasium: Some Starfleet personnel
can find solace from the aggravations of day-to-day life in exercising
their
bodies. The Security department encourages constant use of
this
facility; tournaments and competitions are held regularly in this room.

The weight room
is located on deck16. This weight room has full body
building and exercise apparatuses
available for your disposal; any kind of exercise can be performed
here, be it Terran, Klingon, Vulcan (it isn't logical to let your body
atrophy), Bajoran,
Trill, or others.

There is also a
wrestling mat in the
weight room, which can be used for wrestling, martial arts,
kick-boxing, or any
other sort of hand-to-hand fighting. There are holo-diodes along the
walls and
ceiling which generate a holographic opponent (if you can't find
someone to
challenge), trained in the combat field of your choice. The computer
stores your
personal attack and defense patterns as it gains experience on your
style of
fighting, and adapts to defeat you. All personnel on the Akira
Class must go
through a full physical fitness and hand-to-hand combat test every six
months.

There are also
racks of hand-to-hand
combat weapons, for use in training. Ancient weapon proficiencies for
Starfleet
personnel are recommended by Akira Class's security
division; phasers may not
always be available for use in contingencies. Terran, Klingon,
Betazoid, Vulcan,
Bajoran, and other non-energy weapons are available for training.

This is a large
lounge, located on deck 5,
forward. It has a very relaxed and congenial air about it; the Lounge
is the only place on the ship where rank means nothing - "sir" need not
be uttered when a person of lower rank addresses an officer, and
everyone is on
an equal footing. Opinions can be voiced in complete safety. This
lounge is the
social center of the ship.

The Lounge has
a battery of
recreational games and assorted "stuff". 3-D chess, pool tables, poker
tables
(complete with holographic dealer and chips), windows that look out
into space,
heavily cushioned seats, and numerous other games. There is also a bar
(with
holographic bartender), and it stores various potent alcoholic
beverages, such
as chech'tluth, Aldebaran whiskey, Saurian brandy, Tzartak aperitif,
Tamarian
Frost, C&E Warp Lager, Warnog, Antarean brandy, and countless
others.

General
Overview: Located at the
dorsal bow of the ship, the Flight bay module has replaced the
shuttlebay module
that is in previous Classes Starships. This Flight bay contains support
services
for the latest in Starfleet shuttle and runabout designs. The Flight
bay is
controlled by a space/air-traffic control room, known as "Flight
Operations".
This is located against the forward wall of the Flight bay, next to the
exit for
the turbolift, which in turn is supervised by the TIC. The Flight bay
typically contains
the following, though can change on a mission to mission basis:

Developed in
the
mid-2360s, the Type-18 Shuttlepod is somewhat of a departure from the
traditional layout for ships of its size. In response to the
growing threat of
conflicts with various galactic powers bordering or near to the
Federation, this
shuttlepod was designed to handle more vigorous assignments that still
fell into
the short-range roles of a shuttlepods. Even with her parent
vessel under
attack, the Type-18 was designed to function in battle situations and
could even
be used as an escape vehicle should the need arise. Lacking a
warp core, the
pod is a poor choice for travel beyond several million
kilometers. Ships of
this type are seeing limited deployment on various border patrol and
defensive
starship classes, including the Defiant-, Sabre-, and Steamrunner-class.

The Type-6
Personnel
Shuttlecraft is currently in widespread use throughout Starfleet, and
is only
recently being replaced by the slightly newer Type-8 Shuttle of similar
design.
The Uprated version of this vessel is considered to be the ideal choice
for
short-range interplanetary travel, and its large size makes it suitable
to
transport personnel and cargo over these distances. A
short-range transporter
is installed onboard, allowing for easy beam out of cargo and crew to
and from
their destination. Atmospheric flight capabilities allow for
this shuttle type
to land on planetary surfaces. Ships of this type are
currently in use aboard
virtually every medium to large sized starship class, as well as aboard
stations
and Starbases.

The Type-6 is
perhaps
the most successful shuttle design to date, and its overall structure
and
components are the foundations upon which the Type-8, -9, and -10
spaceframes
are based.

Major
technological
advancements in the 2370’s allowed for further upgrades to be
made to the engine
systems aboard shuttlecraft. These upgrades make this craft
more capable of
long-range spaceflight and, like its starship counterparst, no longer
damages
subspace.

With the
borders of the
Federation ever expanding as Starfleet reached the latter half of the 24th
Century, the ASDB realized that there was sufficient need for a
shuttlecraft
capable of making the week-long journeys between planets and stations
at low
warp. The Type-7 was the first step in this direction, and is
equipped for
short-range warp travel. To offer comfort to its occupants,
the shuttle
contains a standard replicator system and sleeping
compartments. The forward
and aft compartments are separated by a small, informal living area
that has a
workstation and table. The aft area is normally equipped with
a bunk area, but
can easily be converted to allow for increased cargo
capabilities. A
medium-range transporter and atmospheric flight capabilities allow for
the
Type-7 to service starbases, starships and stations. Ships of
this type are
currently in use aboard most medium to large sized starship classes, as
well as
aboard stations and Starbases.

Major
technological
advancements in the 2370’s allowed for further upgrades to be
made to the engine
systems aboard shuttlecraft. These upgrades make this craft
more capable of
long-range spaceflight and, like its starship counterparts, no longer
damages
subspace.

Along with
the Work Bee,
the various Sphinx Workpod types are a common site in any large
Federation
shipbuilding facility. Intended never to be far from its
parent facility, the
Workpod was designed to allow greater user hands-on control of the
various
functions involved with day-to-day construction and repair.
With more tools
then the Work Bee, the Sphinx M1A and M2A are used primarily to
manipulate
spaceborne hardware during construction. The Sphinx MT3D is a
third variant of
this robust design, and can be used for towing objects to and from the
construction site. Furthermore, a group of MT3D units can
work together to tow
larger objects into place, including most starship classes, when large
tractor
emitters are not an option. All three variants utilize the
same basic systems,
and are small enough to fit inside of a Type-9A Cargo
Shuttlecraft. All
variants of the Sphinx Workpod are commonly found at Federation Fleet
Yards and
Starbases, as well as on larger Starfleet vessels.

General
Overview: The
Kaneda Space Superiority Fighter was born in 2368, roughly
ten years after the
launch of the Danube Class Runabout. The
design was based on the
Danube
Class Runabout. While Starfleet had
utilized small Starfighters before, all were modified shuttlecraft or
other
small utility vehicles, preferring to utilize existing designs and
technologies
rather than develop Space Fighter specific craft.

The
Kaneda
is a sharp departure in this line of thinking, but still based on
existing technology. Utilizing the Impulse Engine
Configuration, Computer Core,
and Modular frame upon which the Danube Class was
built, the Advanced
Starship Design Bureau of Utopia Planitia lifted those components
exactly and
integrated them into a space frame nearly identical, but slightly
smaller, to
the Danube Class.

The
Kaneda Class has a crew of 2, a pilot and an
operations/weapons officer
sitting side by side. Directly
Aft of the Pilots compartment are the Impulse Engines, Computer Core,
Micro-Torpedo magazines, Primary and Emergency Fusion Generators,
Primary Phaser
Generators, the Shield Generators and other necessary
systems. The fighter
is also armed with two micro-torpedo launchers that can carry up to 20
torpedoes in their onboard magazines, and also sports two Type VI
Shuttle Class Phaser Emitters to cover both the forward and aft firing
arcs. To increase
combat effectiveness against capital vessels, the Kaneda
Class can also mount 4 Mark
XXV Photon Torpedoes outboard along the bottom of the craft.

Note:
the Kaneda class comes standard without a
warp core. She is limited to
sublight impulse operations. This does not mean she cannot be
modified to utilize such
technology, but it was determined that with the Akira's warp
engines, equipping
the fighters was expensive, time consuming, increased operational
repair times,
and did not give the fighter any added benefit.

Flight
Operations are all operations that
relate directly to the function of the starship itself, which include
power
generation, starship upkeep, environmental systems, and any other
system that is
maintained and used to keep the vessel spaceworthy.

Primary
Mission Operations entail all tasks
assigned and directed from the Main Bridge, and typically require full
control
and discretion over ship navigation and ship's resources.

Secondary
Mission operations are those
operations that are not under the direct control of the Main Bridge,
but do not
impact Primary Mission Operations. Some examples of secondary
mission
operations include long-range cultural, diplomatic or scientific
programs run by
independent or semi-autonomous groups aboard the starship.

Flight
Deck Operations are those operations
that typically fall under Secondary Mission operations, but fall under
the
control of the Tactical Information Center. It is not
uncommon for Flight
Deck Operations to supercede Primary Mission Operations, particularly
in combat
missions.

Despite
the fact that the Akira Class
design philosophy leaned heavily toward Tactical and Defensive
Missions, she is
still classified as a multi-role Starship, in keeping with Federation
Council
Policy. This offers the Federation, and Starfleet,
flexibility in
assigning nearly any objective within the realm of Starfleet's assigned
duties.

Mission
for an Akira Class starship may
fall into one of the following categories, in order of her strongest
capable
mission parameter to her weakest mission parameter.

Emergency/Search
and Rescue: Typical Missions include answering standard
Federation emergency beacons, extraction of Federation or
Non-Federation citizens in distress, retrieval of Federation or
Non-Federation spacecraft in distress, small-scale planetary evacuation
- medium or large scale planetary evacuation is not feasible.

Federation
Policy and Diplomacy: An Akira class
starship can be used as an envoy during deep-space operations.

Deep-space
Exploration: The Akira class is equipped
for long-range interstellar survey and mapping missions, as well as the
ability to explore a wide variety of planetary classifications.

Contact
with Alien Lifeforms: Pursuant to Starfleet Policy regarding
the discovery of new life, facilities aboard the Akira
class include a variety of exobiology and xenobiological suites, and a
small cultural anthropology staff, allowing for limited deep-space life
form study and interaction.

Ongoing
Scientific Investigation: An Akira
class starship is equipped with scientific
laboratories and a wide variety of sensor probes and sensor arrays,
giving her the ability to perform a wide variety of ongoing scientific
investigations.

The
normal flight and mission operations of the Akira class
starship are conducted in
accordance with a variety of
Starfleet standard operating rules, determined by the current
operational state
of the starship. These operational states are determined by
the Commanding
Officer, although in certain specific cases, the Computer can
automatically
adjust to a higher alert status.

Red
Alert: Designates an
actual state of emergency in which the ship or crew is endangered,
immediately impending emergencies, or combat situations.

External
Support Mode: State of
reduced activity that exists when a ship is docked at a starbase or
other support facility.

Reduced
Power Mode: this
protocol is invoked in case of a major failure in spacecraft power
generation, in case of critical fuel shortage, or in the event that a
tactical situation requires severe curtailment of onboard power
generation.

During Cruise Mode, the ship’s operations
are run on three 8-hour shifts
designated Alpha, Beta, and Gamma. Should a crisis develop, it may
revert to a
four-shift system of six hours to keep crew fatigue down.

Due
to the unique shape of her hull, the
Akira class does not have a separated flight mode.
While the hull can
eject the warp nacelle assembly quickly and flee via impulse, her lack
of a clearly identifiable
saucer section precludes this capability.

Due
to the unique shape of her hull, the
Akira class cannot land within a gravity well and maintain
hull integrity
for Transatmospheric operations. This does not mean that the
hull cannot
withstand a landing - quite the contrary, in an extreme emergency, the Akira
class could effect a surface landing while only losing an estimated 45%
of hull
integrity while structural members are estimated to have failure rates
as high
as 75%. While integrity is not high enough to allow for
deep-space operations, enough of
the internal volume and structural members should remain to allow for a
landing
that is safe for her crew.

Though much
of
a modern starship’s systems are automated, they do require
regular maintenance
and upgrade. Maintenance is typically the purview of the Engineering,
but
personnel from certain divisions that are more familiar with them can
also
maintain specific systems.

Maintenance of onboard systems is almost constant, and varies in
severity.
Everything from fixing a stubborn replicator, to realigning the
Dilithium matrix
is handled by technicians and engineers on a regular basis. Not all
systems are
checked centrally by Main Engineering; to do so would occupy too much
computer
time by routing every single process to one location. To alleviate
that, systems
are compartmentalized by deck and location for checking.
Department heads are
expected to run regular diagnostics of their own equipment and report
anomalies
to Engineering to be fixed.

Systems
DiagnosticsAll key
operating systems and subsystems aboard the shiphave
a number of
preprogrammed diagnostic software and procedures for use when actual or
potential malfunctions are experienced. These various diagnostic
protocols are
generally classified into five different levels, each offering a
different
degree of crew verification of automated tests. Which type of
diagnostic is used
in a given situation will generally depend upon the criticality of a
situation,
and upon the amount of time available for the test procedures.

Level 1 Diagnostic - This refers to the
most comprehensive type of system
diagnostic, which is normally conducted on ship's systems. Extensive
automated
diagnostic routines are performed, but a Level 1 diagnostic requires a
team of
crew members to physically verify operation of system mechanisms and to
system
readings, rather than depending on the automated programs, thereby
guarding
against possible malfunctions in self-testing hardware and software.
Level 1
diagnostics on major systems can take several hours, and in many cases,
the
subject system must be taken off-line for all tests to be performed.

Level 2 Diagnostic - This refers to a
comprehensive system diagnostic
protocol, which, like a Level 1, involves extensive automated routines,
but
requires crew verification of fewer operational elements. This yields a
somewhat
less reliable system analysis, but is a procedure that can be conducted
in less
than half the time of the more complex tests.

Level 3 Diagnostic - This protocol is
similar to Level 1 and 2
diagnostics but involves crew verification of only key mechanics and
systems
readings. Level 3 diagnostics are intended to be performed in ten
minutes or
less.

Level 4 Diagnostic - This automated
procedure is intended for use
whenever trouble is suspected with a given system. This protocol is
similar to
Level 5, but involves more sophisticated batteries of automated
diagnostics. For
most systems, Level 4 diagnostics can be performed in less than 30
seconds.

Level 5 Diagnostic - This automated
procedure is intended for routine use
to verify system performance. Level 5 diagnostics, which usually
require less
than 2.5 seconds, are typically performed on most systems on at least a
daily
basis, and are also performed during crisis situations when time and
system
resources are carefully managed.

Pursuant
to Starfleet General Policy and
Starfleet Medical Emergency Operations, at least 40% of the officers
and crew of
the Akira class are cross-trained to serve as
Emergency Medical
Technicians, to serve as triage specialists, medics, and other
emergency medical
functions along with non-medical emergency operations in engineering or
tactical
departments. This set of policies was established due to the
wide variety
of emergencies, both medical and otherwise, that a Federation Starship
could
respond to on any given mission.

The
observation lounge on deck A along with the
VIP/guest quarters on deck B can serve as emergency intensive care
wards, with
an estimated online timeframe of 30 minutes with maximum engineering
support.
Further, the primary flight deck has 5 mobile hospitals that can be
deployed
either on the flight deck, or transported to Cargo Bay 2 or 3 for
emergency
overflow triage centers. Cargo Bay 3 also provides for the
emergency
atmosphere recalibration to type H,K, or L environments, intended for
non-humanoid casualties. All facilities are equipped with
full Bio-hazard
suites, to minimize and prevent crew exposure to potentially deadly
diseases.

Aside
from the escape options of shuttlecraft,
fighter, or transporters, the primary survival craft of the Akira
class
is the escape pod or lifeboat. Each Akira
carries a total of 100 of the
8-person variants, which measures 5.6 meters tall and 6.2 meters along
the edge
of the triangle. Each Lifeboat can support a full compliment
for 6 months,
longer if the lifeboats connect together. All are equipped
with
navigational sensors, microthrusters, plus emergency subspace
communication
equipment.

Rescue
and Evacuation Operations for an
Akira class starship will fall into one of two categories -
abandoning the
starship, or rescue and evacuation from a planetary body or another
starship.

Rescue
Scenarios

Resources
are available for rescue and
evacuation to an Akira class starship include:

The
ability to transport 350 persons per hour to the ship via personnel
transporters.

The
availability of the 3 Type 6 shuttlecraft to be on hot-standby for
immediate launch, with all additional shuttlecraft available for launch
in an hours notice. Total transport capabilities of these
craft vary due to differing classifications but an average load of 150
persons can be offloaded per hour from a standard orbit to an M Class
planetary surface.

Capacity
to support up to 4500 evacuees with conversion of the flight bay and
cargo bays to emergency living quarters.

Ability
to convert Holodecks, the Observation Lounge and the Crew Lounge to
emergency triage and medical centers.

Resources
available for abandon-ship scenarios
from an Akira class starship include:

The
ability to transport 350 persons per hour from the ship via personnel
and emergency transporters.

The
availability of the 3 Type 6 shuttlecraft to be on hot-standby for
immediate launch, with all additional shuttlecraft available for launch
in an hours notice. Total transport capabilities of these
craft vary due to differing classifications but an average load of 150
persons can be offloaded per hour from a standard orbit to an M Class
planetary surface.

Protocols
also include the use of Lifeboats. Each lifeboat carries a
total of 100 of the 8-person variants, which measures 5.6 meters tall
and 6.2 meters along the edge of the triangle. Each Lifeboat
can support a full compliment for 6 months, longer if they connect
together in "Gaggle Mode".

Environmental
Suits are available for evacuation directly into a vacuum. In
such a scenario, personnel can evacuate via airlocks, the flight bay,
or through exterior turbolift couplings. Environmental suits
are available at all exterior egress points, along with survival
lockers spaced through-out the habitable portions of the starship.

Many
exterior windows are removable, allowing for egress. However,
these manual releases are only activated in the event of atmosphere
loss, power loss, certain Red Alert conditions, and only if personnel
in contiguous compartments have access to an environmental suit.

This is the one point in this entire page where
you'll find that, for the
first time, the authors step out of the Star Trek universe and back
into our own
21st Century mindset. The information presented on this page
is a result
of hours and hours worth of researching, more researching and then a
rigorous
and intensive process of compiling the best information from canon
sources, and
making an attempt to fill in the blanks. For the purposes of
ST:ACTD, these are the specs for the Akira-class
vessel. Now
to address some of the problems found in compiling this information,
followed by
a brief explanation as to why a certain path was taken in these specs.

Torpedo Launchers: According
to the technical specifications
produced in the DS9 Manual, the Akira is listed as
having 2 Photon Torpedo
Launchers. Visual evidence on Star Trek: First Contact,
suggests that the
class has an aft launcher in the rear sail area. This would
give the Akira
Class a whopping three torpedo launchers, with one located on the
ventral
portion of the dish/primary spaces with two located in the aft torpedo
sail;
this also gives her the distinction of being the first starship to have
the
ability to fire more torpedoes than phasers - making the Torpedo
launcher the
craft's primary weapon.

Warp Core Ejection Systems: So
far, I've yet to see a hatch on
the underside or topside of the ship that suggests the warp core can be
ejected
in the traditional manner ala the USS Enterprise-D, Enterprise-E, or
Voyager.
This, on top of her loosing 4 decks to the Flight Deck, the idea that
she has a
horizontal warp core didn't seem all that farfetched - plus, I think it
would
just look cool.

EMH/Holodeck: It's
reasonable to assume that Akira-class
vessels have been equipped with the latest version of the EMH series,
even if
her initial launch date predates this technology.

Flight Operations/Starfighters/TIC:
This came from
the idea of a 20th Century Aircraft Carrier, not unlike the CVN USS
Enterprise.
As we've seen on nearly every episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation
and Star
Trek: Voyager, the Bridge is a busy place. Now, toss in
having to
coordinate all flight operations, search and rescue, intelligence
analysis of
recon flights, along with making sure all fighters land and
take off
successfully, and even the most competent bridge officers would quickly
be
overwhelmed. The Tactical Information Center, or TIC, is
designed to take
all of those burdens off of the bridge and let the bridge officers do
what they
need to do in combat situations. Further, the Starfighters
were added as a nod to the discussions of the designer of the Akira
class, Alex
Jaeger.

Low
NCC, New Starship: This was the
stickiest part of the development process. The NCC registry
number places
the USS Thunderchild in the assignment era of the Nebula
class of
vessels, but clearly, through her escape pods, nacelle design, and
overall
appearance, she had to be newer than that. The idea that her
unique hull
configuration was causing problems with existing M/ARA Warp Engine
technology
was my idea, and way of explaining why such a low NCC could be assigned
to a
newer ship, her commissioning occurred much sooner than her actual
deployment,
and it wasn't until technology advanced far enough to make the design
feasible
did the Akira class go into full
production. Further, the addition of
another photon launcher after the initial class launching was also my
idea, in
an effort to distinguish between the published specifications for the Akira
Class in the DS9 Tech Manual and
what we've see on screen.

What
is a "Kaneda"/ Where did you get the
name: As the starship was named for the Anime film "Akira"
(1988), so I
named the Starfighters for the hero of the film, the biker named
'Shôtarô Kaneda';
"Akira", while violent compared to most mainstream Manga/Anime
movies, is a lush metropolis of gang warfare, an examination into the
possibilities of reality, and a fantasy tale of elements long lost in
modern
movies, so the more homage I can push, the better. I thought
about using
the Valkyrie class fighter from the PS1 game
"Invasion", but as we know,
games worry less about canon and more about balancing elements for
smooth
gameplay, so I don't feel its an adequate representation of a
starfighter in the
Starfleet inventory as far as armament, but the image certainly fits
the current
flavor of starship designs.

Copyright 2001 -
Star Trek
: A Call to Duty. Use of these specifications is
restricted to the Star Trek:
A Call to Duty (ST:ACTD) Technical Specifications domain at
http://techspecs.acalltoduty.com and may only be reproduced
with the express permission of the ST:ACTD on sites that clearly serve
to provide
information on ST:ACTD, its various ships and stations, or other
related
topics. Editing the contents of the information present on this page or
reformatting the way in which it is presented is not permitted without
the
direct permission of ST:ACTD. Wherever possible, published
sources were consulted to add
to the wealth of knowledge in this document, and in some cases, this
text was
reproduced here. Sources used are properly cited in the
"Credits and
Copyright Information" appendix. No copyright infringement is
intended.

Copyright 2001 -
Star Trek
:
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